Saturday, 11 December 2021

SIXTEEN 12 PROTOTYPE SWIFT

 Continuing my revisited look at some of the Sixteen 12 Eagle Episode sets, here’s one that hasn’t actual been released yet.

Not long ago Sixteen 12 officially announced the latest addition to their Episode Collection, The Swift, the spacecraft seen in the season 2 episode, Brian the Brain.

 I was lucky enough to be able to take a few photos of their new Swift pre-production prototype model back in September, this year.

It’s a good size, some 14” long, and although my photos show their excellent 3D model, the final miniature will be a highly detailed die-cast, which will come with its own display base.

Personally, I think it looks great and perfect for anyone who wants a ready-made display piece, and doesn’t want to tackle the option of a garage kit and all that entails!

 Bearing in mind the model is a prototype, to the more critical eye, it does look like it needs a few alterations, and possibly additions. The sides that stick out from the main body are not angled in line with the upper section, which does make the hull look too wide. There's also a green mechanism missing from between the two top cylinders.

Hopefully, this is something that the Sixteen 12 team will correct for the finished item.

The Catacombs website explains that the original filming prop was designed by Ron Burton, and built by Martin Bower. The model was originally intended to appear as a landing ship in the Gerry Anderson TV special; Into Infinity, presumably, had it become a series.

In the Space: 1999 episode it is described as one of four support ships, serving an unnamed ‘mother ship’ for a 1996 ‘star mission’.







The original filming prop missing the top cylinders which were added at the studio and contained the freon gas for the engine exhaust effects. 

The missing mysterious green mechanism between the cylinders.





No comments:

Post a Comment